CE750

I've been checking that board for the past 3 months straight... haven't seen a thing on that for the CDI.. other models maybe. More importantly, my car in it's first 3 months has been 100% trouble free. As you know from your years in airplanes, the two times you're most likely to have problems in in a BRAND NEW PLANE, and one FRESH FROM MAINTENANCE... well I've had it 3 months and not so much as a squeak. It's now at 4400 miles and runs even better than it did new (It feels significantly quieter and quicker than when it was brand new). AND I'm getting 39MPG highway on diesel which is 40 cents cheaper than 91 octane! does you Seiko get that for a 4000lb sedan?

rjm

CE750 wrote: "I've been checking that board for the past 3 months straight... haven't seen a thing on that for the CDI.."

I see you checked and verified it this morning. Sure sounds like a problem with the CDI and I hope it doesn't happen to you. It's very disconcerting to have your car just die on you for no reason, especially when MB doesn't have a clue as to what caused it. That topic will be well worth following up. Hope it just turns out to be a software problem.
Of all the new model E-Class cars I drove, I liked the CDI the best, except for it being a new model and prone to problems all new cars and engines historically have had, the noise of the clanking engine, the increased maintenance costs, and the problem of finding diesel fuel. I had a diesel in the 80's, and few stations down here have it. It was a nuisance finding fuel for it. Even the MB salesman admitted the increased maintenace costs pretty well negated any savings in fuel costs with the diesel.


"AND I'm getting 39MPG highway on diesel which is 40 cents cheaper than 91 octane! does you Seiko get that for a 4000lb sedan?"


That sounds somewhat exaggerated...even the specs list it at 37 MPG, and as you know I'm sure, that is always an optomistic number. Diesel costs more than gasoline down here. About .10 more per gallon. I've been getting between 28-30.5 MPG on gasoline in the LS430 (highway), depending on the wind, and have been very happy with that. Around town about 24-25 MPG.

CE750

Any car (I'm sure even yours, and please don't make me go to the Lexus forums and dig them up) is going to have issues like that, where someone posts the problem. I was on the Honda forum recently researching why the Accord was so light compared to the W211, and while there I read NUMEROUS complaints of cars failing.

Here is just one I easily found on your LS: LS430 Problems

It's all anecdotal and meaningless... many times' a car that just shuts down like this CDI in the UK can be linked to a one's in a million years occurrences of several factors coming together. Willie Nelson dives his CDI on bio-diesel and has no problems, and Pat Goss (of motor week, owns one - calls it the best car available, which is saying much considering he's who he is).

As for the CDI being new... the engine has been in production for at least 3 years in Europe... not new. And more over, the maintenance costs of a CDI are LOWER, yes LOWER than the E320 or E500.. call a REPUTABLE MB dealer and ask.. I've call all three around here, and they all agree... Lastly... I don't know about Texas (Dallas), but here in Phoenix, AZ... ever other gas station sells diesel.. we have the largest population of large/pickup diesel truck owners I've ever seen... that also plays well for prices of diesel here.

Check the forum (as you told me to do) and you'll see that most CDI owners are getting far better than the 37 that EPA tested... this is mainly due to the fact that a CDI isn't even properly broken in until 3000 or 4000 miles, and EPA doesn't test cars that worn.. Gas engines break in at max, 1000 miles..

Also, remember the drag coef on the W211 is SIGNIFICANTLY lower than the LS430 and 95% of other cars made! .. so the faster I go, the cheaper I become.. remember that from your basic aerodynamics ... parasite drag!L]

rjm

Got it! If you go twice as fast, you will get there in 1/2 the time, so therefore you will burn less fuel! Your engine will last longer too because it will only be running 1/2 of the time.

vraa

W211
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=1850

LS430
http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicl...ergap0136.html

CE750

So now you want to dispute the importance of drag on the efficiency of a car?

please... and they let you fly 767's on line service? No wonder AMR hasn't recalled a soul.. they're loosing money cause their pilots are flying at high speed and low altitude since they don't understand drag.

edit: looks like ricky made this a moot point.... so now the diesel vs gas is the only difference, and here you're beat fair and square.

rjm

According to the latest company brochures, the coefficient of drag for the MB E Series Sedan is .27. For the '05/'06 Lexus LS430 it is .26 (.25 with Adaptive Variable Air Suspension).

CE750

which would explain the good milage on the highway for that car being a gas engine... but you're still a ways from 37-39mpg... and in passing power at normal driving speeds, your quite a bit shy of 369ft/lbs of torque @ 1800RPM..

Lexus is impressive sure.. but not as impressive.

CE750

Pat Goss on the CDI



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...051101010.html

rjm

OK....but gasoline smells better than diesel fuel! And it's less messy! How about that?

CE750

I will yield that.. but then Diesel is more like Jet fuel! so there!

rjm

So I guess I have been driving a smokey old diesel for the past 35 years....and enjoying every minute of it. :p

CE750

wow! they don't make jets like that anymore... I'm lucky to see any smoke from the engine on start... the rest of the time noting.. much like my CDI.

They used to do water injection on the early 707's didn't they? That's all way before I got my wings!

JohnAMG

I made a partial switch to Lexus myself. I just placed a deposit on a Lexus GX470 for my primary winter vehicle and family hauler. Still got the 2 AMGs because there are no substitute for them! And in 2 years I shall get my ML63 to update my AMG stable. The availability of 3rd seating sold me on the GX470. When you have 2 young children and hangs around with the in-laws every 2 weeks, a vehicle to seat 7 is more practical. We looked at 2006 ML500 and love it too. But no 3rd row seating, $62K MSRP(dealer willing to give $2800 discount), and lousy trade-in for my CLK55 kill the deal. ML500 was our first choice since my wife is a more franatic Mercedes fan than all of you guys combine. But she gave up buying ML because she didn't want to give up the CLK55 at a Filene Basement price. I can hear many of you would say the GX470 can't handle ML500's performance. My response is I have my AMGs for spirited driving. Also remember, when you are carrying precious cargo like your children, you got to go easy on your lead foot and not take the curve at 60 MPH

John

P.S. Both of my AMGs are rock solid and rarely have any problems. They are just as reliable as any Lexus.

MB Fanatic

no problems with the E55, E350 either.

CE750

Not to diss your Toyota Land-cruiser with Lexus badge, but Volvo also has 3rd row seating and is a lot less likely to flip over on your wife and kids while doing an emergency avoidance maneuver on the freeway.


BTW... AMG rocks! what Lexus have to compare with that rjm?

JohnAMG

Now, leave me out of your Lexus bashing. I appreciated fine automobile and that include Toyota/Lexus from the land of rising sun also. I believed I have the best of both world; exclusive German engineering and excellent Japanese reliability. There are many great cars out there and limiting yourself just to Mercedes is very short sighted. Hey I may even consider ordering a BMW M5 in the future too

BTW, I discussed the Volvo SUV with my wife but she didn't want to be bother with it because she doesn't like the look. Buying car is very subjective. What is right for you may not be for my family. Just be respectful of other's choices and bashing one and other is just childish.

John

P.S. I did sit in the LS430 but emotionally it didn't do anything for me. But interestingly I felt differently with the SUV.

CE750

never said I wasn't childish now did I?

JohnAMG

OK, you smart-*** :p

John

CE750

Enjoy the Lexus....

On a serious note... Land Cruiser isn't an insult.. this (other than the Range Rover) is the only SUV I'd take off road...

But in general I don't like SUV's for street use due to high roll over issues.. my wife insisted on one, and I only allowed the Volvo for that reason alone.

king_j

if youre gonna dis, then do it right.

GX = 4 runner

LX = land cruiser

vraa

Actually it depends on what part of the world you live in. I believe the GX is the Landcruiser Prado, which is also the same as the 4Runner...?

Man, I hate international markets

PCH_4.2

ouch.... that's a harsh comment.
I guess I shouldn't mention the ES300 that I use as a partial driver... been relatively troublefree except for a recent exhaust (EGR) related bleeder valve problem.

-=PCH=-

JohnAMG

Actually,

GX = Sequoia
LX = Landcruiser

John

vraa

No, the GX isn't the Sequoia. I was right, the GX is the Landcrusier Prado.